Thanks to a statement released through his attorney on Wednesday afternoon, we found out what his thoughts were when the news came down. Vilma says that he never made the cash offers attributed to him in the original bounty report and that he plans to fight the suspension.

“I am shocked and extremely disappointed by the NFL’s decision to suspend me for the 2012 season. Commissioner Roger Goodell has refused to share any of the supposed evidence he claims supports this unprecedented punishment. The reason is clear: I never paid, or intended to pay, $10,000, or any amount of money, to any player for knocking Kurt Warner, Brett Favre or any other player out of the 2009 Divisional playoff game, 2010 NFC Championship Game or any other game.

“I never set out to intentionally hurt any player and never enticed any teammate to intentionally hurt another player. I also never put any money into a bounty pool or helped to create a bounty pool intended to pay out money for injuring other players. I have always conducted myself in a professional and proud manner.

“I intend to fight this injustice, to defend my reputation, to stand up for my team and my profession, and to send a clear signal to the commissioner that the process has failed, to the detriment of me, my teammates, the New Orleans Saints and the game.”

While Vilma doesn’t specifically say he’s planning to appeal, it’s hard to get any other impression from his words.

Right. And Bill Romanowski was just clearing his throuat someowhere around JJ Stokes grill,OJ just ahappened to find some sunglasses and Monica Lewinsky want actually the girl parking herself under Bill Clintons desk.

If nothing else, I hope the appeals and lawsuits force Goodell to finally put up or shut up and make these supposed “50,000 pages” of evidence public, instead of telling us what it is, and asking us to take his word for it.

It’s sad he will probably rely on teammates to alter their evidence in an effort to weasel out of the responsibility. It appears he did it. Now the union will coerce it’s members to fight the NFL. Goodell ids doing a good job in spite of the riff raff that play the game.

I think saints fans should figure out how to file lawsuits also, this is the climate that Roger Goodell embrases. You would think,he would issue rational punishments, so everyone can move on and get back to football. Just look at all the players reactions around the league. The commisioner is out of control.

Innocent until PROVEN guilty. Come on Goodell show your evidence to the rest of us. You know you’re going to have to sooner or later while Vilma takes the NFL to court. The judiciary system just loves the $$ the NFL brings to them.

Last time the Saints were in the news its because they got beat down by the 49ers, now its because they were trying to physically beat teams like the 49ers. Now they are saying they cant even do that. Funny how it works

If Goodell has the evidence, let’s see it??? What’s he hiding???? Putting out evidence such as “on Oct. 10, 2010 J. Vilma received a payment of $5,000 for an illegal hit on so-and-so” is evidence and if Goodell had that, you would logically think he would release it so as to have an “open and shut case.”

Don’t you think the fact that they won’t share the evidence with the media, the player’s union and the fans who foot the bill is a little fishy??

So he went to the bank to take out $10,000 (or he found a lot of ATMs to give him $500 at a time). He made the effort to take $10,000 with him to the stadium, slam it down in front of teammates, offer the money in exchange for Favre’s head, but he never intended to pay anybody for injuring an opponent.

I understand how the court of public opinion works. Guilty until proven innocent. But can we all stop for a second and take into consideration that we are taking the word of Roger Goodell, a person not many of us trust. A person who chose to inform Vilma of his suspension via Sportscenter. A person who has not divulged information to the NFLPA. I am not saying Vilma is innocent. I fully expect something happened. However, do we really want to put our faith in Goodell? He was the MOST booed man at the draft for a reason.

Two questions exist in my mind; 1) What hard evidence does the league have on the players? I’m assuming it is something substantial because they wouldn’t risk a lawsuit and the usurping of power from the commissioner’s office (via a lawsuit) if they didn’t think they didn’t have this one sealed up tight. 2) Is Gregg Williams going to corroborate any of the stories/other evidence in an effort comply with the terms of his suspension/working toward reinstatement? If Williams, who has nothing to gain by confirming his players involvement, does implicate them, then they will have a hard time winning an appeal. Sure they can argue that Williams just wants to be reinstated, but if he does confirm the rumors/other evidence, no player will ever listen to him again. In essence, it would likely negate a reinstatement.

Notice how he doesn’t deny he paid $10,000 to a bonus program just didn’t pay money for someone to hurt another player. Not sure on NFL rules but doesn’t it seems breaking the rules to decrease money paid to players, UDFA rules, is accepted. But violations of written or unwritten rules which increase money towards players is hammered? See Dal/Wash and this

Say what you will about the situation, I’d be surprised if this doesn’t end up in federal court the same way that the Kevin/Pat Williams suspensions ended up in federal court. He’s losing over 2 million dollars in salary for 2012. There’s a lot of heresay involved in this case as well. This is the type of things that gets dragged on in the courts for a long time, (Roger Clemens trial)…

I thought what Gregg Williams said right after the initial story broke was damning. Vilma may have just opened Pandora’s Box. The NFL needs to dish out what it can. I understand they want to protect the identities of players who may have given them information but there had to have been some kind of a paper or electronic trail somewhere, rather than unsubstantiated testimony from former players.

Notice how Vilma said he didn’t participate in it, not that it never happened. I find it difficult to believe a bounty program existed yet the players didn’t take part.

Pretty sad he found out he got suspended on Sports Center…kinda tells you how spineless and gutless Goodell is.

—————————————–

Was it the league’s job to inform the players or was that delegated to another party (team or union)? I know everywhere I have ever worked that sort of thing was left to a person’s immediate supervisor or Union rep to pass on. I haven’t found a good explanation on that one way or the other.

Officer, you can’t arrest me. Just because that 9 millimeter over there has my fingerprints on it and just because there’s gunpowder residue on my hand and there’s a 9-millimeter hole in that guy’s head, you can’t be arrestin’ me ’cause ya ain’t got no probably cause. RIGHT!

Vilma is helping us all by appealing, for us the suspension be upheld or not is irrelevant. The courts will make the league hand over the proof, thus establishing that we do not have to take our employers word for it. Also, the courts will establish what is fair can an employer say I furious an add additional penalties, or do penalties have to be fair a not subject to Goodall menstrual cycle. So on behalf of all PFT posters ( even the dumb ones) thank you for fighting.

With today’s announcement of four players being suspended for their roles in the three-year bounty scandal engulfing the New Orleans Saints, the final score is on the board. Coaches, administrators and defenders who play for, or played for the Saints have been issued suspensions without pay totaling 77 games — and the team fined $500,000 and docked two second-round draft choices — for their roles in a scandal that has drawn the heaviest sanctions in league history. The Patriots, in 2007, got docked a total of $750,000 and a first-round draft pick — but no coach or team employee was suspended — for videotaping the opposing sidelines during games, ostensibly to gain a competitive advantage.

Those are words of direct denial to allegations….he was specific in his denials which if this was poker – he wants to see Goodells full hand (evidence)…not what you clowns write about, but the actual 50,000 page report….etc…you’re telling me 50,000 pages and you suspend 4 players…c’mon man!!!

Fight this “injustice” well Jon has a choice not to play in the NFL, go to CFL or AFL.
So many other guys would love to be at your position playing in the NFL. Don’t take it for granted.
People in our society now always trying to point the figure at other people for their own wrong doing, it’s a shame to teach the next generation this kind of practice.
Just own it and move on, and intent will cost you something and pay the consequences.
If you intent to rob a bank and there’s clear evidence of it, but whether you act upon it or not you still have to be punished.
Williams didn’t appeal his punishment and that speaks for something.
Don’t make it worse than it has to be. See you in 2013.

Mrgrooved—spineless is spending all that time release a statement full of lies. Spineless is refusing to admit what he did despite having confessions from Williams, Payton and Hargrove. The Least of his worries or yours should be how he was notified. Just a ridiculous statement by a bitter saints fan….I hope this bugs all you idiot saints fans that just want to sweep this under the rug almighty with O.J, Barry bonds cream and clear and Clemens claim people misremembering.

Daysend, if he paid the bounty, that is not a tax problem for him, but for who he paid it to. He could be in some minor trouble for not giving out a 1099. The bigger issue is if you pay someone to cause harm to someone else, you can go to prison for that. That’s serious.

What is the difference between a legal contract and an illegal bounty?

A defender’s job is to knock the snot out of an opponent. If he doesn’t knock the snot out of people he loses his job and thus his income. Sometimes knocking the snot out of a guy injures him. Maybe he gets a concussion, a torn ACL, or one of those Favrian twisted ankles. A defender who does a great job of knocking the snot out of guys, who get hurt in the process, will be “rewarded” with a new, bigger and better contract ( mo’ money, mo’ money ) just like his coaches promised him. Perfectly legal.

A defender who knocks the snot out of guy while playing for a coach who promises him a “reward” ( mo’ money ) for knocking the snot out of the opponent and hopefully injure him is, by NFL rule, participating in an illegal bounty system and will be suspended and denied his income, whether or not he actually got the “reward” and whether or not the opponent was injured…and even though the defender planned to knock the snot out of the guy anyway because, after all, it’s his job.

I submit there’s no difference between knocking the snot out of people with the hopes of being rewarded with mo’ money by contract than by bounty. Contract and bounty are interchangeable, a distiction without a difference. One cannot logically be promoted and justified while the other is banned.

It is therefore inherently unfair to financially punish a defender for one while financially rewarding him for the other. When this business gets to federal court, the judge will likely call upon the NFL to somehow justify this contradictory system it imposes on players.

Seriouosly guy? Wow. So if your coach says,” hey, huge d lineman, go pick that punter up after he kicks the ball jackhammer his skull into the dirt. Ill give you a hundred bucks and a peek inside the cheerleaders locker room” then hes supposed to just “follow his coaches blindly into battle. and just do what he;s told? Thats the dumbest thing Ive ever heard. If some teacher told my kid to beat up another kid and he did it, my kid would have me to deal with. People know right from wrong. Unless theyre idiots like you.

Saints fan or saints hater, everyone should want there to be evidence presented. If not then don’t get mad when a player on your team gets fined or suspended with no proof.
What is the nfl hiding?
————————————-
Embarrassing itself further and opening itself up to additional legal challenges and Congressional scrutiny. They aren’t the government, they aren’t elected, they don’t have to share with you. They aren’t governing by the US Constitution in that manner. You can best believe that the league is always thinking about what’s best for itself and it’s members (teams).

We Saints fans are pretty easy. Just show us some evidence that proves our players paid and received money to injure. I don’t know where most of you guys are from, but where I’m from we need a little bit more than your word to convict someone.

“R.I.P. Junior. Sorry the only damn the NFL gives about you is throwing your fellow defensemen on the funeral pyre.”

Looking at the evidence linking concussions to depression and suicide, I’d say it’s just the opposite. “Go for the head” Gregg Williams says? Seems like the nfl is finally taking this issue seriously.

BTW, if they had been honest the first or even second time the league asked them to stop we would have never heard about any of it. If these “real men” can put another’s career or life in jeopardy, they can tak their medicine and shut their mouths.

Finally, someone on the Saints shows they have a pair! If you are an NFL fan first and foremost, you better pray Vilma finds a good lawyer and wins this case. There is no greater importance to preserving this game than removing some of Goodell’s unilateral power. Good luck Jon!

physiodoc2be, Gregg Williams HAS EVERYTHING to gain by corroborating evidence the league has–that’s one of the things Goodell said that he had to do to possibly get his job bakc in 2013–he HAD TO COOPERATE FULLY WITH THE LEAGUE’S INVESTIGATION. Now, do you think he’s actually going to put his career, which is teetering at the moment, in jeaporady for Vilma?

I cannot believe fo the life of me how some of you can say that the league “has no proof”. If the league had no proof, none of this would have happened. Consider–

1. Gregg Williams ADMITTED it happened.

2. Sean Payton ADMITTED he did nothing to stop it, as did Mickey Loomis.

3. All importantly, as I’ve said in a couple of other threads, which Mr Florio CONVENIENTLY leaves out, Dan Wetzel of Yahoo.com publishes an article where Anthony Hargrove, in a too-late attempt to stave off suspension, PUT IN A WRITTEN STATMENT the existence of a bounty program.

And if you think that Goodell is going to tell the media BEFORE he tells the player or the players’ representative, then I think you guys have been smoking something. I’m betting Vilma knew he was going to be suspended–indeed, if you go back to about two weeks in this very forum, he’s quoted as saying he thinks he’s going to get 4-8 games.

I keep reading all of the “innocent until proven guilty” statements on here.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t that only apply when someone is in a court of law, facing charges brought by a government entity?
At the end of the day, the NFL is a private corporation, and the players are employees.
If the man in charge of said corporation feels that the employees violated corporate policies, that he has the right to mete out discipline to those employees.

For those who say he is innocent until proven guilty, I say, “This isn’t a court of law!!!!”

Goodell is an employer punishing an employee for conduct detrimental to other employees. He doesn’t have to present any evidence to his customers (us) to support the punishment. He’s protecting his product.

Vilma can sue. And I am sure the NFL will march Gregg Williams into the courtroom to say, “Yeah, he threw down a bounty on Favre and Warner.” Or at least he better if he ever wants to step foot in the League again.

We Saints fans are pretty easy. Just show us some evidence that proves our players paid and received money to injure. I don’t know where most of you guys are from, but where I’m from we need a little bit more than your word to convict someone.

IT is not a court of law. It’s the NFL. A private entity. Kind of like Augusta National. They get to make their own rules. And enforce as they see fit. And do not have to show you anything. You see, that’s the NFLPA’s job. Don’t expect an Al Davis powerpoint presentation anytime soon. Because, they simply don’t have to show you squat. It’s not a conviction, it’s a suspension.

We forget that NFL players are all members of the NFLPA so they have to be defiant and appeal.Another offseason of non-stop talk about New Orleans Saints lawsuits,appeals,etc instead of talking football.If the league is not careful,they will quickly find themselves as legit as professional wrestling.

Vilma doesn’t have the brains to issue such a statement…….but his “people” sure do have a way with words. Vilma wouldn’t know a two syllable word if it slapped him in the face. I think everytime a Taints player, coach, etc. goes public with any comment or denial about what has already been proven and decided, Goodell should double their penalty. And everytime Brees asks “for an explanation” he should just be beatch slapped.

Godell thought he would never have to go to Federal court and explain his destruction of evidence and lenient penalties against Belichick and the Patriots in the SpyGate case. And his subsequent light slap on the wrist of the Donks and little Josh McDaniels in SpyGate II.

Well guess what? That’s exactly where you are headed. Because SpyGate is THE precedent. And you handed out the lightest of penalties against powerful owners in Boston and Denver, while dropping a nuclear bomb on Tom Benson’s crew in New Orleans.

All those years of favoritism and cronyism and collusion? Roger – in the infamous words of Jeremiah Wright – your chickens are about to come home to roost. In a Federal courtroom near you.

Haha, all you sanctimonious fans are basing your opinions on league-provided rhetoric. Where is the proof? Just because the league comes out and says that the Saints are guilty doesn’t make it true. Let’s see the evidence before crucifying these guys.

What you guys are advocating is for the league to hand out the harshest set of punishments and suspensions while not offering up the proof behind it. Do you want this to be like Spygate where Goodell destroys all the evidence and just expects everyone to believe him because he is the Commish?

rooneyruleblues says:
May 2, 2012 6:12 PM
Vilma continues to show how classless he is by releasing a statement this afternoon and trying to overshadow the death of an NFL Legend. These guys should get a lifetime ban IMO.

One can only hope that evidence of Brees having knowledge of these activities will surface. Then the entire nation can see him for the fraud he really is.

———————————

Look at you using the death of Junior to pull on heart strings. It’s obvious how classy you are, but if there were any doubts, your statement about hoping Brees was involved as well just proves it. Brees has done more for the community and country than you could ever imagine. Yet you rejoice at the thought of tarnishing the name of a true role model.

Vilma is scum. According to Albert Breers Tweets, these 4 players that have been suspended had a chance to interview with league and none did but they got a statement from Hargrove. Hey Vilma, if you were interested why didn’t you talk to the league. You should be suspended for life you fraud!!!!

He is on a team that had intent on injuring other players for financial gain, and fame.

He continues to spew nonsense about “havent seen any evidence”.

His coaches have admitted wrong doing, and Williams gave a statement apologizing for his actions.

Even Bill Romanowski and OJ Simpson donated money to their communities. It doesn’t make them a role model does it.

Pointing out that today is a day for remembrance for someone who played the game the way it was meant. For someone that had RESPECT for all of his fellow players. Someone that would never purposefully hurt someone on the field for money. And I believe someone that would never want to be a part of a franchise that would.

Go crawl back up and down burbon street. Get out of here. Let us celebrate Seau.

“I never paid, or intended to pay, $10,000, or any amount of money, to any player for knocking Kurt Warner, Brett Favre or any other player out of the 2009 Divisional playoff game, 2010 NFC Championship Game or any other game.”

Good thing about the 2010 NFC Championship Game, considering Warner was retired, Favre had played in his last game(we think), and the Saints were already eliminated from the playoffs by the 7-9 Seahawks. Why would he have paid anybody to knock a player out of a game pitting the Bears against the Packers?

Come on people, nobody gets evidence of anything. The league likely believes there is a lawsuit coming, what do you hear out of the mouths of attorneys or the state prior to lawsuits? Right, nothing! They say they cannot talk about it and are not at liberty to say. Regardless, we, as fans, don’t “deserve” any evidence, Vilma does, but not until he actually appeals or files suit just like a criminal does not get the evidence against him until the grand jury indicts. Seriously, when do u see businesses reveal anything about their practices or firing people? Something WE DO have a right to know as taxpayers is where all that bailout money went and what those corrupt corporations are doing with our money, yet do we get anything? No. Hell the government is subject to the freedom of information act and we get nothing from them either. The only people with a right to this information are the business owners themselves, and those accused much later in the process. So really the complaining over release of evidence is pointless as well as absurd.

Big difference between tackeling a guy while playing football, and tackeling a guy when you have an oral contract to get paid for hurting him. The latter is a crime. And if you happen to accidently kill your target which could happen, you could be up on murder charges-NFL player or not. And if Goodell doesn’t make crystal clear that he has no part in fostering such an environment- he could be up on charges also if someone were seriously injured or killed. That is why you see this hammer coming down like this. Dont feel sorry for these NFL employees, though, they had their chances and they made their own beds.

It still ceases to amaze me that those of you that still need proof. Hargrove signed a written statement. Your coaching staff took responsibility and apologized for it. What else do you need to overcome your denial? It happened. Suck it up and move on.

-Bounties are probably true (Saints fan talking here)
-Goodell probably has some pretty damning evidence here.
-The evidence is probably waaaay worse then anyone has let on at this point.

Ask yourself, why would the NFL not release it to clear their own selves and make this an open and shut case?

Maybe because the evidence is way bigger than NOLA and will make the NFL as an organization look way worse. Maybe there’s evidence that MANY more teams and players were involved in things like this. Maybe this is a Pandora’s box that Goodell is trying desperately to lay on top of.

Maybe if they do release the evidence, the players suing the NFL will have an open and shut case against the NFL. Maybe there would be no maybes and we can all stop this conjecture if the NFL would just release the info.

I have a feeling, if this goes to court and some of these buried facts come out to the public, some of you other fans of other teams are going to realize your been the pot calling the kettle black this whole time.

Imagine that, if it came out that other teams (your team) was involved in something like this. Boy you would sure have egg all over your face for talking so much trash about people being accused without evidence.

Just think about it, it isn’t as simple as right and wrong. The NFL’s hands are VERY dirty and they’re just trying to close this and railroad it as fast as they can so you will all forget about it.

Try to look at this as if it was a regular judicial case with an unprejudiced mind whether you are a Saints’ fan or hater. Every defendent has a right to see the evidence before being sentenced and they also have a right to an attorney even if they are not guilty. Getting an attorney does not mean you are guilty either.

I agree that he deserves the punishment given to him if he is guilty. As a football fan, I want to see if there is hard evidence other than hearsay. Is there evidence of transactions being made? Can you prove that this is more than just people speaking metaphorically when offering bounties?

The tsar (Goodell) should show the evidence so we can be assured that he is not crossing the boundaries and taking this issue personally now that there are court cases accusing the league of being soft when it comes to players’ health.

you people are so dumb. the man has a lawyer like everyone else. if any of you ever got in trouble you first thing u do is get a lawyer. now vilma says no he did not…the nfl say he did. this is america…show the evidence. how do you take somones word for it just cause they say so…no we need proof. if you have proof show us.

That’s it guys. Keep showing young guys that it is ok to lie. Does anyone honestly believe the league would come down this hard, knowing the fight they are in for, without evidence? And we wonder why our youth have no morals.

What a coward. Hide behind a lawyer and flat out lie. Does this idiot really think people much smarter and educated in law would do this without looking at legal ramifications? Go away Vilma and take that turd Fujita with you.

The NFL as a business focuses solely on their product, this includes their image and their actual product to be marketed. Vilma is an important part of that current product, what does the NFL gain by not allowing him on the field all of next season? They suspended him for a year. I think they have him on tape, he better hope it’s not video.

Dude, you got busted. Your coach got busted. Your teammates got busted. Not only that, people watching the games can see something was up. You got caught. End of story.

We seen this time and time again with a player accused of something, says its not true, appeal the decision, only for it to be true after all. But it is smart he’s denying it. Then he can appeal and get the suspension shortened. If he just flat out and said, “Yeah I did it,” appeal denied. Either way he should just man up, he was their leader.

I am with Vilma on this one. Where is the evidence? If the NFL can dish out some evidence, then, and only then, is Vilma guilty of any rules violation.

All I have seen so far is articles with accusations in them and video with guys hitting other guys on a football field. The accusations are presented wirh heresay evidence, and the hits are highlight reel stuff you can get from all 32 NFL teams.

They have been talking about him being involved for months, why is this the first time I have heard him deny the claims? I’ll tell you why he didn’t think that he was going to get in trouble and if he did, he thought he would get a slap on the wrist. Too late for your lies should have spoken up sooner. Maybe you can get Andy petit to say he has first hand knowledge of your guilt and then change his story.

Man people, you don’t get evidence you when you get fired or suspended from your job they just tell you it’s done! Until he actually files a suit or an appeal, like Payton and loomis, he will not get to see the evidence piled against him, because that exposes your entire case against the person and all the lawyering done before you even have a dispute. It’s plain ridiculous, he doesn’t have a right to evidence against him until there is a formal grievance just like any G**DA*N employee.

Rexismybff- I’m not a Patriots fan by any means but get over “spygate”. You use any opportunity you can to bring it up in every post about the Saints “bounty program”. You are just a sad jealous Jet fan that can’t handle the fact that the Patriots have reached success that your franchise will never achieve. Why don’t you contribute something that pertains to the actual post or just not comment at all!!!

I absolutely 100% agree with you…oh wait, except for Hargrove admitting to his involvement in, and the existence of, AND his involvement in helping keep the truth from investigators…

Do you seriously think the NFL and Gooddell are going to take action, without having some actual physical evidence and sworn testimony? You…are aware they have tons of money, and with that, hordes of lawyers…right?

As much as everyone may hate Gooddell, and for all I know they have very good reason, the fact remains no businessman takes an action like this without having substantial probable cause.

What the unknown source basically said to Werder is that GW was looking for an extra incentive to heighten the players intensity prior to the playoff games against Arizona and Minnesota. GW pulled Vilma aside and said he had an idea. He reportedly gave Vilma $10K to put down in front of the players to motivate them and the money was never paid out, but rather returned to GW. Since it worked so well to motivate players against Arizona, it was repeated against Minnesota.

The source alleges that Vilma did not use his money, nor was the intent to injury another player. Sounds like they will force the NFL to distinguish between pay for performance and intent to injure. Werder did mention that Warner was injured in that game. He failed to mention that is was a legal hit.